Église Saint-Médard is a medieval Catholic church located in the 5th arrondissement, on the left bank of the river Seine.
The first chapel of St. Médard was built in the 9th century to replace a ruined abbey. Between the 9th and the 12th century the church was enlarged and the Pope’s bull recorded it as a parish church. A growing number of the faithful caused the subsequent expansions, the largest of which, in the 15th century, gave the temple its current shape.
In 1561, a theological debate between Catholics and Protestants took place in the church. The discussion ended with a rough-and-tumble and the destruction of the interior of the object by the Protestants.
During the French Revolution the church was closed and changed into the Temple of Labour. In May 1795, it was drawn on a list of churches returned to the Catholics.
The temple also has a wooden, painted vault (unique in Paris), built during the 18th-century reconstruction. It was intended to be a temporary solution, but ultimately it wasn’t replaced by the proposed roof of stone. There are also the medieval statues of Mary and St. Dionysius, dating from the 15th century.
The church is distinguished by the rich and valuable equipment inside. In one of the transepts there is a picture of Jesus walking with St. Joseph by Francisco de Zurbaran. In addition, the temple has a complex of 17th-century paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ, images of St. Médard, the Virgin Mary and St. Anthony of Padua. The 16th century gave the church sculptures depicting the Way of the Cross, and some stained glass windows.
After its rebuilding in the 15th century, the church is decorated in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The church has three naves, with the main nave twice as high as two others. The modest exterior does not have a rosette, which is replaced by one large window. The entrance to the church leads through the semicircular door without portal. The tower, situated at the height of the transept, doesn’t have a traditional steeple spire, though its roof is shaped like a pyramid. The interior is supported on Doric columns.
18th century brought the last rebuilding of the church: the choir was expanded and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built.